Electrical switch and valve-controlling device.



B. N. & E. A. PRARY.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH AND VALVE CONTROLLING DEVICE. APPLICATION TILED AUG.18, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 30, 1914.

1,1 1 6,262. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

W/TNESSES: 11v VENTORS,

Edwa/d 1W Fray Zrnesii (2E, Flu/3, v I BY ATTORNEY.

\ purrnn stains PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD, N.FRARY AND ERNEST A.. FRARY, OF SOUTH DEERFIELD, MASSA(IHTJ'SIEl'JITS'.

ELECTRICAL swrrcn: AND vaLvEcoNTnoLtIuG pnvxcn;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Application filed August 18, 1910,Seria.l No. 577,825. Renewed March 30, 1914. Serial No. 828,387.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD N. FRARY and ERNEST A. FRARY, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of South Deer-field, in the'county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 111 Electrical Switches and Valve-Controlling character that when manually brought to closed or circuit establishing position and the closing force is released, the switch will be immediately automatically moved to break, or leave open, thecircuit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve and combined therewith an electric switch, together with valve opening. and closing means, which means is operative 1 ,body having tapered holes or valve seating I sockets a a which extend from front to rear in its valve opening action to immediately establish an electric circuit and to then, upon the release of the force manually applied, cause an opening of the switch to leave the circuit broken without imparting any degreeof closing movement to the valve.

The special object for which the device has been produced is to enable a person,

such as an automobile driver, while sitting in the seat of the vehicle,,to turn on the acetylene or otherlgas which leads to the burner of a lamp and simultaneously therewith secure an ignition of the gas issuing from the burner of the lamp by reason of the establishment of the electric circuit in which a spark coil is usually employed, and with assurance that almost immediately the gas is turned on and the gaslighted, the lighting circuit will, Without requiring any thought or act on the part of the driver, be;

automatically opened to prevent the running down of the generator.

Other objects are to render the device very much simplified, compact, entirely practical and eflicient. A

. The invention is described in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of combined switches and valve controlling devices ap purtenant to the gas supply pipes for several lampsof an automobile; Fig. 2 is .a

front elevation and partial section astaken on line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross secsupporting portion of the device, indicat lngby dotted lines the gas passages therewithin; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 areviews showing in separated, partially engaged, and finally ,engaged, relations parts com rising the valve and important portions of the switch and the handle for operating both the valve i and the switch. Figs. 8 and '9 are face views of the frictional tensioning spring appurtenant to the pluralized valves in different positions assumed in its assemblage in relation to such valves. Fig, 10 is a dia-.

gram indicating the connection of several 1 valves and switches with gas pipes and gas lighting burners of the extreme front, in

tel-mediate and rear lights of an automobile.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in allfof the views.

In the drawings,-A represents a metallic in parallel lines.

B represents a gas supply pipe which ileads into the bodyand connects with the ,horizontal passage 10 which intersects two of the valve receiving sockets, and by passage 12 connects with the third one of the valve seating sockets, andfrom the several valve seating sockets lead passages 13 with which are connected pipes C, C and C l which lead to the gas lighting burners diagrammatically indicated at (Z, 1 and (Z of the front, intermediate and rear lamps I),

D and D for an automobile. The courses of the passages 10, 12,.and 13 in their relative planes, and in somecases one in front j of another, are indicated by the dotted lines in both Figs. 2 and hand each plug valve E has a straight transverse way e therethroughso that, in a simple manner and as easily understood, the several valves close and open communicationfrom the supply of gas in the tank Ci -from which the supply pipefB leads with the several lamp burner supplying pipesG. C and G On the top of the valve body is a suitably thick layer f of insulating material, on which are contact pieces 9 g g which form electric circuit terminals.

The valve, body and thehvalves tightly seated and rotatably movable therein being ing of considerable unnecessary wiring.

Each plug valve E is provided with an oiitwardly extending stem it having a quite short radially limiting studz' and also a fixed radially extending pin j which receives connection therewith of the retractile spiral spring is which will be hereinafter again referred to. V I

J represents a contact arm or member for co-action with the aforementioned contact piece 9 for each of the switches, the same comprising a collar portion m which loosely embraces the shank or stem of the valve and is positioned against the shoulder a at the place where the stem joins the plug like valve proper. The said collar portion of the contactarmJ is provided with a right angular or hook shaped lug 0 which extends forwardly from the plane ofvmovement of the contact arm.

L represents the operating handle for each switch, represented as having the ordinary formof a switch key and constructed'with a tubular stem 9 which loosely embraces the valve stem'and which is provided with a recess s which has a dimension greater than the diameter of the aforementioned limiting stud i which projects from the stem of the valve so that there may be in the circuit closing action a lost motion engagement bei tween the operating handle and the valve.

The tubular shank of the key or operating handle L which is telescopically fitted about the stem of the valve has an outturned or radially extended lug t which is interengagedvwith the hook shaped lug 0 appurtenant to the contact arm J.

The aforementioned spiral spring 70 is connected for its retractile action by its one end to the contact arm and by its other end to the radial pin j of the valve stem.

The tubular shank c7 of the operating handle is recessed as indicated at u so that it may have its suitable freedom for lost motion relatively to the valve without obstruction by the radial pin 7' with which the spring connects. I

The rear ends of the several plug valves E which protrude beyond the rear side of the valve body A are made with annular grooves "21, and the flat spring M made of slightly undulating, form and arranged alongside the backofvthe valve body has such an engagement withthe grooved plug valve as to insure the seating thereof with an appropriate degree of frictional tension in the tapered sockets. The'springplate as shown is made with several holes to of a diameter as large as the full diameterof the rear extremity of each valve plug and with extensions 10 of such holes soth at bygplac-i ingthe plate with the larger portions of the recesses registry with the valve ends, slipping the plate to embracing relations with such valve ends and then sliding the plate endwise the spring is engaged both with the valves and in a degree of compression against the back of the valve body.

In the operation of opening one of the valves and closing the switch appurtenant thereto, a person will manually move the handle piece L from the position shown at.

the left of Figs. 1 and 2 to the position-shown in the middle of said figures. This results ;firstly in the handle piece causing by its lug t a slight rotative movement with it of the contact arm, stretching and increasing the tension of the spring is before the recessed shank of the handle piece encounters .to the handle piece the stretchedspring becomes efiective to cause a withdrawal of the contact arm. J from its bearing under and against the contact piece g as represented at the right hand portion of Figs. 1 and 2, thereby breaking the circuit which at the time of the opening of the valve has been closed. It will be stated at this time v that the friction tight fitting of the valve in contact arm with its retractile spring may be made up and provided as a unit; and with these units fitted in the valve body which is inclosed in the casing Q having comparatively small circular holes in its front, the tubular shanks of the handle pieces may be inserted through such holes and haveitheir, projecting lugs brought to engagement with the lug provided contact arm, which, so far as the operation is concerned, is to all intents and purposes'as a leverlike member of the handle piece. 7

The wiring connections for the respective gas lighting circuits may be substantially the same as those described in our application for Letters Patent filed July 12, 1910, Serial No. 567,183, for an apparatus, the objects of which are similar to those of this invention, and over which this invention is deemed to have superiority by reasonof its greater simplicity, compactness and cheapness. Therefore, it maybe briefly mentioned coil 22 the wire 23 runs to connection at 24 with the metallic valve body A. This wire is, therefore, in metallic connection through the valve body and valves with the contact arms J; and when the contact arms are against the contact pieces 9 circuits will be established by way of the wires 25, 26 and 27 a to the gas lighting burners of the front, intermediate and rear lamps, the return current being understood as accomplished by the wires 28 grounded in the metallic frame of the machine as also the wire 39 which completes the return to the battery. Therefore, the very simple device here illustrated provides for the turning on of the gas in any of the three sets of lamps and establishment of the gas lighting current therefor.

We claim 1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a valve body, having a passageway therein, and forming art of an electrical circuit conductor, provided with a valve receiving socket therein, and having a contact member mounted thereon and insulated therefrom which constitutes a terminal of an electric circuit in which said valve body is also comprised, a rotative valve plug in said socket controlling said passage way, a contact arm provided with a collar portion embracing the shank of the valve plug, a spring applied for reaction between said contact arm and said valve plug, and an operating handle piece provided with a sleeve like shank telescopically fitting about and rota table relatively to the shank of the valve plug and having a projection which engages said contact arm, and having a lost motion eiligagement with the shank of the valve 2? In a device of the character described, in combination, a metallic passaged valve body having a contact piece insulated therefrom and having a plug valve rotatively fitted therein and provided with an outwardly extending stem provided with a radial limiting stud and a radial pin, a con tact arm having a collar portion loosely en- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

circling the valve stem and provided with an offset lug, an operating handle piece provided with a tubular shank loosely telescopically fitted about the valve stem provided with a lug which engages the oifset lug of the collarmember of the contact arm, and having an opening the width of which is greater than that of said radial pin, and relatively to which such tubular shank has a lost motion engagement, and a spring applied for retractile action between said contact arm and said pin carried by the valve stem.

3. In a device of the character described, in

combination, ametallic passaged valve body,

having a contact piece mounted thereon and insulatedtherefrom and having a tapered socket for a lug valve extending therethrough from rent to rear and intersecting the passage in said body, a plug-valve fitted through said socket, projecting at the rear of the body and having a forwardly extending stem provided with a limiting stud and a fixed radial pin, a spring located at the rear of the body and imparting a frictional seating tension to the plug-valve, a collar loosely encircling the valve-stem havinga contact arm extended adjacent and for 00- action with said contact piece and provided with a forwardly ofi'set lug of hook shape, a spiral spring connected to and retractively operating between said, contact arm and said radial pin, and an operating handle-piece made with a tubular stem, loosely embracing the valve-stem, provided with a recess having a dimension greater than the diameter of said limiting stud, for a lost motion engagement, and provided with an outwardly extending lug with which said hook-shaped lug appurtenant to the contact arm has an inter-engagement.

Signed by us at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD N. FRARY.

ERNEST A. FRARY.

Witnesses:

G. R. DRISCOLL, WM. S. BELLQWS.

Washington, D. O. 

